Nutella

Two salivating, hungry boys hovering over the griddle simplified the process this weekend, so there was time for a quick squirt of the batter but not enough for adding toppings.

The older boy, who is nearly six, looked up at me with big serious eyes and said, “I’ve seen these on the computer and I’ve always wondered how they were made.” So we pulled up a stool and I demonstrated the squirt bottle technique by drawing the contour first and letting it sit for a minute before adding in the rest of the batter. Amazingly, his eyes grew even bigger, his head started nodding as a smile grew from ear to ear. “I’ve got it!”

After eating every morsel of his breakfast, the boy excused himself from the table and exclaimed, “that was the best pancake ever!” I highly doubt, since it’s instant pancake mix, but it’s funny how the visual preparation can influence your taste buds.

Tips: Definitely use a pancake spatula when flipping the robots. Gently wedge the spatula under all of its extensions to make sure nothing is sticking before sliding it under the body to give it a quick flip.